ABC To Announce Future Of "Lost" Today

How was that for an attention grabbing headline?

Take a deep breath, “Lost” fans. What I’m about to tell you is actually good news…

ABC is expected to announce today that “Lost” will end in 2010 after three more shortened 16-episode seasons. The episodes will air repeat-free from February to May (a la “24”).

Executive Producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have signed new contracts that will keep them on the show for the duration.

Why is this good news? Because it means that Cuse and Lindelof now have an endpoint from which to map out the show and presumably provide all of the answers. And running the episodes from February to May without interruption is really the only way to do a serial show…

If there’s a downside it’s that Cuse and Lindelof now have 48 more episodes to stretch this thing out…

Lindelof promises “USA Today” that the “answer-filled” season finale will begin to give the audience an idea of where the show is headed “and it will not be at all what they expect.”

“The last five minutes of the finale are going to seal our fate.” Hmmm…

The two-hour “Lost” season finale airs May 23rd at 9 p.m. on ABC…

Photo courtesy of Gannett News Service

"Lost": Making Connections...

Warning: This post contains details about last night's episode of "Lost."

So, Locke and Sawyer are connected and Jack and Juliet appear to be up to something...

Your thoughts?...

"Lost": That's my line...

When Hurley looked at the mysterious parachutist and said, “What?” at the end of last night’s “Lost,” I couldn’t help but laugh, because that was exactly what I was about to say…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episode of “Lost.”

I only watched those last five minutes, but they were a doozy, weren’t they? When Hurley told Naomi (That’s what ABC calls her.) that he was from Oceanic Flight 815, she replied, “That’s impossible. They found the plane. There were no survivors. They were all dead.”

Spooky…

Sun learned that she only has a little while to live, and it appeared that the theory floating around that the Others wanted Sawyer and Kate to hook up so Kate could get pregnant might have some legs.

Plus, we once again felt some sympathy for Juliet, when after leaving Ben a recorded message in the station, she said, “I hate you.” Maybe she’s not such a bad guy after all…

But what I’m really curious about—though probably not enough to watch—is the question we heard in the previews: “Do you trust Jack?”

Does anyone else get a whiff of dead meat around him?...

"Lost": Women Falling From the Sky...

Okay. I admit it. I found myself engrossed in tonight's episode of "Lost"...

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about tonight's episode of "Lost."

Not because I wanted to see if Penny was the mysterious person who jumped out of the helicopter--I already knew she wasn't. I wanted to see if Desmond would sacrifice Charlie in order for his visions about Penny to come true.

Now I know what you're saying. They wouldn't kill Charlie, right? I wouldn't be too sure about that one...

I'm hearing there will be more deaths before the season is over and I've got to believe one of those will be a shocker...

Thoughts?

"Lost": More and More Questions...

I admit that because of all of the good reviews I had read I actually watched the first half-hour of “Lost” before I got bored with hearing myself ask questions and turned off the TV…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night’s episode of “Lost.”

I like Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) and it was great to see one of my all-time faves, Brett Cullen (Goodwin), but is anyone following this? Why did Juliet agree to leave her pregnant and possibly dying sister to go to some mysterious place where she had to be drugged to go? The “you know this place is special” explanation just didn’t do it for me…

And did Jacob save Juliet's sister, or was Ben lying about the return of her cancer? And who is Jacob?

And why does this show make me ask so many questions?

Because I couldn’t help myself, I turned the TV back on to see the end. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that the whole thing— Juliet being left by the Others, Claire’s illness, Juliet saving her—was all a scam orchestrated by Ben. It wasn’t surprising, but it was disappointing. I was really hoping that Juliet would be a victim of the Others, not one of their chief instigators.

Which leads to more questions. If she hates Ben so much and so desperately wants to leave, why is she helping him? Is this her ticket home?

And what in the world did Juliet do to earn Jack’s trust? Was it because she saved Kate?

One last question. Any thoughts?

"Lost": Jack is Back!

So the crew is finally reunited (all but one, anyway) on "Lost" and they have a new friend joining them...

Thoughts?

The Low Self-Esteem of the "Lost" Creators

Some of my classmates in high school had a saying: “People who make fun have low self-esteem.”

Granted, they just said it to make fun, but the sentiment is still true. People often tear others down to make themselves look better…

Which would explain why the executive producers of “Lost,” Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, feel the need to attack other shows…

It started with the Winter Press Tour. Lindelof and Cuse were clearly stung by the critics’ and audience’s reactions to the first batch of “Lost” episodes. The fans were angry because much of the cast was MIA while the show focused on the Others. And after posing a ton of questions in the season finale, by the time “Lost” took its break, none of them—or any others—had been answered.

In the meantime, while “Lost” was off the air, another serial had become the new “it” drama. And “Heroes” didn’t wait to answer questions, moving at a breakneck pace that fans loved—and wanted a little more of on “Lost.”

So at the press tour, Cuse finally had the chance to respond to the criticism. He could’ve just explained that those first episodes were not meant to be separate from the rest and that the hiatus hurt the flow. He could’ve just said that everything would make sense later. He did say those things, but he chose to add one other comment. He chose to say that the resolution of the “Save the cheerleader, save the world” story on “Heroes” didn’t live up to all the hype.

I remember thinking when I read this, “At least they tried, pal.” But Cuse and Lindelof were not done yet…

Last week, the duo was stung by the reaction to the Paolo-Nikki episode. Fans hated these characters from the very beginning because they saw them as taking away from the characters they loved. So last week, the show solved the problem by eliminating them from the canvas.

But did Damon Lindelof simply say that they were respecting the fans’ wishes? Did he just admit they had made a mistake with these characters? No.

Instead, Lindelof took a shot at another show, telling “TV Guide”: “The easiest thing would’ve been to forget they ever happened, like the cougar on ‘24.’ But that’s not ‘Lost.’”

Forget that it ever happened? Not even last year’s five Emmys have made people forget the worst moment in “24” history…

For those of you who don’t know what Lindelof is referring to, in season two, Kim Bauer was running through the woods trying to get to safety from the nuclear bomb that was in Los Angeles, when she began being pursued by a cougar. Running away from it, she got her foot caught in a trap. A mountain man (played by Kevin Dillon of “Entourage”) rescued her and took her to his cabin, where he tried to get her to stay with him.

As my second favorite Canadian, RT, said, what did they want? For the cougar to have its own spin-off?

“24” has abandoned many storylines in its five and a half seasons, but unfortunately, the cougar was not one of them. So why would Lindelof bring up such a bad comparison?

Remember what I said about tearing down others to make yourself look better. What better way for Lindelof to do that than by bringing up the reigning Emmy winner’s worst moment?

The sad thing is that of all the shows the people from “Lost” should not attack it’s “24,” because without “24” there would be no “Lost.” Up until the success of “24,” no network would touch a serial drama like “Lost.” It’s almost as if they’re biting the hand that fed them.

I have always respected “Lost” for listening to the fans. I just wish they would come out and admit their shortcomings instead of attacking others. Or better yet, I wish they would just concentrate on their own show instead of worrying about everyone else’s…

Maybe they need a boost of self-esteem…

"Lost" creeps me out...

So was anyone else completely creeped out by the ending of tonight's "Lost"?

And I only saw the last half-hour since I was watching "South Park," so maybe you all could explain to me what the point of the whole Nikki-Paolo story was anyway...

"Lost": Some Serious Daddy Issues...

I stopped watching “Lost” on a regular basis after we discovered that Locke was in a wheelchair before the plane crashed. It just totally creeped me out…

But since tonight we were going to find out what put him in the chair to start with, I decided to watch.

And as usual, I don’t know what to say…

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about tonight’s episode of “Lost”…

So now there’s a magic box that will give people whatever they want? And to get Locke to side with him, Ben used the box to get Locke’s dad? Or is his dad connected with everything?

And is anyone else sick of The Others? Get back to the beach already!

As for the big reveal about Locke's paralysis, since I’m not a regular viewer I was kind of lost about that whole thing but it was interesting. And I’m sure this is the episode Terry O’Quinn (Locke) will send to the Emmys. His horror as he looked at the wheelchair was beautifully done.

I’m just concerned they’re making Locke a little crazy. And I can’t imagine that Jack is just going to take Locke blowing up his way home lying down.

And since I am behind on all the backstory, could someone explain to me how that guy is old enough to be Locke's dad?

The promos promise us another death next week. I think everyone is hoping for Paulo or Nikki…or both.

Thoughts?

"Lost": Who's the Daddy?

Warning: The remainder of this post contains details about last night's episode of "Lost"...

As "Lost" fans have long suspected, it was revealed last night that Jack's father, Christian, is indeed Claire's father--but she doesn't know that because she didn't even get his name.

Next week, we get the answer to another mystery as we find out why Locke was in a wheelchair. AND my sources say the episode on March 28th is going to be a doozy as we get the return of some old favorites (Hint: It's Paolo's and Nikki's flashback episode.) and a major twist that will have everyone buzzing (No, I have no idea what it is.)...

Thoughts?

Columbia Editor to Matthew Fox: "Get 'Lost'!"

The editor of Columbia University's undergrad magazine, "Blue & White" is encouraging his fellow students to protest alumnus Matthew Fox's serving as Class Day speaker May 15th.

The editor says they should choose someone that has accomplished more than "being hot" and lucking into two hit TV shows.

If I were the bigwigs at Columbia, I would be responding rather quickly to this one, or forget asking Fox for money in the future. I think we all know a university that would be thrilled to have him...

And while we're talking about "Lost," any thoughts on last night's episode?

Did "Lost" Go "Up In Smoke"?

Sorry, I couldn't resist the Cheech and Chong reference in the title...

Last week, "Lost" fans were livid at ABC since the promos promised the answers to three of the show's biggest mysteries and they didn't feel like that's what they got.

So, did this week's episode guest starring Cheech Marin make fans feel any better?

"Lost": ?

So, I read the synopsis of last night's "Lost" and I was totally confused.

Any thoughts?

"Lost": Was It Worth the Wait?

So it was my intention to write a post about last night's episode of "Lost," but I just don't know what to say.

So I'm going to let all of you "Lost" fans out there tell me. Was it worth the wait?

For me, it wasn't; but I don't know if that's because I'm not a fan of the show or because the episode just wasn't that good.

Just post a comment and let me know your thoughts...

"Lost" Returns, But Is It Too Late?

Some funny things happened while “Lost” was away these past four months:

*“Lost” didn’t make several critics’ end-of-the-year top ten lists—lists it had topped the year before.

*A new serial drama, “Heroes,” stepped to the forefront, moving at a frenetic pace and managing to answer some questions along the way.

*Several other serial dramas, including “Kidnapped,” “Vanished” and even the show that replaced “Lost,” “Day Break,” were cancelled.

*The displeasure with the six episodes that aired continued to build as fans got tired of not getting any answers.

So do these things mean “Lost” is in trouble? It could be if it doesn’t fix them. But the one thing that has always been true about the show is that the people behind it listen to the fans and I believe they are listening this time.

How do I know? At the Winter Press Tour, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, the show’s Executive Producers, announced that they were working with ABC on an end date for the series. Why is that important? Because it sent a message to the fans that the show is not just playing around. There are answers and eventually we will get them. And I think it’s safe to say, they’re a little stung by the criticism since Cuse suggested that the “save the cheerleader” resolution on “Heroes” didn’t live up to the hype…

Hey pal. At least they tried…

But it looks like “Lost” will be trying as well. In tomorrow night’s episode, we get a Juliet flashback that should give us some insight as to whether she’s good or bad. Next week, we’ll find out what happened to Desmond after the hatch blew up. And by the end of the season, we’ll know the meaning of Jack’s tattoos and why Locke was in a wheelchair. Plus, we’ll get the return of Desmond’s girlfriend, Penny.

See what I mean about listening?

The problem for “Lost” this season was actually created by trying to do something for the fans—eliminate repeats. But ABC wanted to use “Lost” as a lead-in for “The Nine,” so instead of running all 22 episodes uninterrupted (a la “24”), they broke the season up. Therefore the fans were expecting everything they loved about the show in those six episodes. But because they were never meant to stand alone, that didn’t happen. And the fans and critics were disappointed.

So is it too late? Has time passed “Lost” by? Of course not. But if fans don’t start getting some answers quick, that end date could come sooner than expected.

“Lost” returns Wednesday, February 7th at 10 p.m. on ABC…